In The Hands Of Fate
by Roguie
Summary: Post Dog With Two Bones - Don't want to spoil the ep in summary, suffice it to say it is J/A. Part Five added 24/04/02
1. Part 1

A/N: Well, folks, here we go. I've finally managed to corner my muse for a short while and have strapped her to the computer and demanded that she write. :P I'm not sure how frequently parts to this fic will be up; hopefully, if I stay excited about it, it should only be a matter of a day or two between pieces.  
  
Just as a point of explanation, only the first and last parts will be in first person... the in between will be third person narrative. Don't ask, I'm just experimenting here.  
  
This one takes place after Dog With Two Bones, and is chocked full of spoilers, so if you're adverse to knowing what happened, don't read. As to the final revelation in Dog with Two Bones regarding Aeryn, I'm dealing with it and dismissing it in my own way. I have my reasons which will come through in the plot in later chapters.  
  
I'm rating this as PG for now; it is very rare that my stories stay that way for long, but as I am not sure where this is going just yet, I figure I'll let it go for now.  
  
They're quite obviously not mine; they belong to the Henson Production Company, Rockne O'Bannon, et. al.  
  
God it's weird playing with characters that don't belong to James Cameron! LOL Looking forward to hearing what you think, either here or by email. :)  
  
  
  
In the Hands of Fate  
  
Part One  
  
By: Danae Bowen  
  
Email: logansfox@rogers.com  
  
  
  
Frell.  
  
How can things change so entirely in one simple microt? I did it. I managed to leave without entirely breaking down. I managed to look him in the eye and say goodbye, and my voice didn't even quiver. I was proud of myself as I piloted my prowler away from the lone shadow of his module and far out into the dark depths of space that I love so much.   
  
I never lied to him. I love John Crichton. Both of them, because they are one. My leaving had nothing to do with loving one John more than the other; I love him. No matter which shared my bed on Talyn, the John I've left behind is still the same man that held me so tenderly while I cried for the first time in many cycles. He's the same man that loved me so thoroughly the night we thought we were going to die. He's the same man that promised he would never leave me by choice. He's the same man that declared his love to me over and over, even when I was unwilling to listen. It doesn't matter which John I finally let fully into my life, I wasn't leaving because of that. I was leaving because of how completely losing John once destroyed me.   
  
I am very lucky in a way; when John died on Talyn, he was still waiting for me on Moya. If I could find the courage, I could easily sink back into the life we'd created for ourselves, allow myself to forget the pain and just live for the moments of happiness he'd brought into my life, but I'm not that brave. I can fight my own people, those who used to be my family and friends. I can kill them all without looking back because I know that the side on which I'm fighting is the right one. I can take any torture anyone wants to inflict on me, because, physically, I am strong. When it comes to John Crichton, however, I am no more than a child, stumbling my way through the world of emotion he opened to me, and it is there that my strength abandons me.  
  
It is in this particular microt that the strength I'd managed to gather those last few moments aboard Talyn as Moya came into view and the following solar days aboard Scorpious' Command Vessel, finally fled my weak grasp. I gasp in horror at what I'd done, my heart breaking as I remember those beloved blue eyes showing every fissure that formed in his soul as he realized I was leaving and he couldn't stop me. As pitted by pain as my own heart has become, I'd managed to hold myself together long enough to flee, and now, I wish I hadn't.  
  
I tell myself that I had to know; I had to know if he would stand down when I asked and allow me to leave, no matter how badly it stung. I had to know if he loved me enough to allow me to be who I was born to be, as I know I must do for him. I had to know if we had a fighting chance. Peacekeepers were ruthless, yes, but even we were trained that to sacrifice one's self in a hopeless battle was a folly, not an honor. If John or I were unable to allow the other to be themselves, then we have nothing worth fighting for. At least now I know the truth.  
  
Faster than my mind can register, my hands shift on the Prowler's controls and my vector changes once again. I'm going back. I have to go back. I told him that we were in the hands of fate now, but that's not entirely true. Fate plays a role in everyone's paths, without it, John Crichton would never have fallen into my life, my heart, my soul, but it doesn't rule our existence. Sometimes, as John would say, we have to give fate a helping hand.  
  
My prowler increases speed as I charge back to where I left Moya and Farscape One. The hesitation causing me to throttle back as I sped away now manifests itself as exuberance as I tumble back towards the life I know now I am destined to live. Good or bad. Pleasure or pain. At least it is a life I love, and it is with him. Life without John Crichton is worse than the Living Death; it is nothing at all.  
  
I palm my communicator, desperately keeping my voice level as I grow closer and closer to our parting co-ordinates. "Pilot, this is Aeryn, come in."  
  
Silence greets me and I frown, scanning the Prowler's sensors for any sign of the living ship that had become my home.  
  
"Pilot, respond, please."  
  
Again my hail is greeted by dead air. I'm not worried. Yet. It really is amazing how things can change so entirely in one simple microt.  
  
"Pilot?"  
  
********  
  
End Part One. 


	2. Part 2

A/N: This one takes place after Dog With Two Bones, and is chocked full of spoilers, so if you're adverse to knowing what happened, don't read. As to the final revelation in Dog with Two Bones regarding Aeryn, I'm dealing with it and dismissing it in my own way. I have my reasons which will come through in the plot in later chapters.  
  
I'm rating this as PG for now; it is very rare that my stories stay that way for long, but as I am not sure where this is going just yet, I figure I'll let it go for now.  
  
They're quite obviously not mine; they belong to the Henson Production Company, Rockne O'Bannon, et. al.  
  
Looking forward to hearing what you think, either here or by email. :)  
  
  
In the Hands of Fate  
  
Part Two  
  
By: Danae Bowen  
  
Email: logansfox@rogers.com  
  
  
  
"No way. Abso-frelling-lutely not possible. That did NOT just happen."  
  
"John."  
  
"Shut up. You're screwing with my head again, aren't you, Harv? Playing around in the part of my brain that controls what I see, is that it? Checking to see how far you can push me before I break? 'Cause this just ain't funny."  
  
"John, I'm afraid that what just occurred had nothing to do with either you or myself."  
  
"Bullshit! There is no way that after three damn cycles of searching for a wormhole that the one frelling microt I step out for some fresh air, Moya gets pulled through. There is no frelling way that she could be circling earth right now while I'm stuck floating around in a Leviathan graveyard with *you* for company. There is no frelling way that that just happened!"  
  
"John, as enlightening to the human emotional infrastructure as this conversation has become, I do suggest that you plot a course towards the nearest inhabited system, as we are dangerously low on fuel. Moya is gone, for now. We cannot survive in your module for long if there is no power to stabilize the life systems. I, for one, have no interest in dying at this particular moment."  
  
"Tough, Harv, I'm still callin' the shots around here. My module, my choice." John leaned back in his seat defiantly, unable to tear his eyes away from the area of space into which Moya had disappeared only microts before.  
  
"I judged you higher than this. Perhaps I made a mistake?" The clone leaned forward, his head almost resting on John's shoulder as he followed the human's gaze out the module's window. "Staying here is certain suicide, John, for us both. Do you truly believe that slowly suffocating in a freezing module will allow you to find Officer Sun or Moya and your comrades faster than refueling at the nearest commerce planet? Or perhaps you have no interest in finding them; perhaps you truly do wish to die? Is that it, John? Without the good Officer Sun, you've no sense of self-preservation? Pity, really. I never thought you to be such a frail species." Harvey sighed dramatically.  
  
"Oh, can it, would you? Y'know, I've just been traumatized for like the millionth time since I got to this godforsaken part of the galaxy." John ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, closing his eyes briefly. "I don't need to listen to your stinkin' psycho babble to know I'm screwed up, hell, just the fact you're speaking is enough to convince me. Preaching to the choir, leather-face. I'm a full-blown converted lunatic. Happy now?"  
  
Harvey rolled his eyes, leaning back once again, crossing his hands over his chest as he watched John thoughtfully. "I'd be happier should you find it within you to change our course, however slightly. I'd prefer not to drift into the still active space around the anomaly. I'd be happier yet if you'd concede to piloting us a safer distance away from this entire area, perhaps somewhere along a merchant line?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah. You don't have to keep prodding me, Harv. I got the point the first time." John studied the co-ordinates of the sector of space in which they were floating, committing them to memory as he altered the vector of the module and fired up the engines. With the fuel level being as low as it was, he'd little hope that he'd get very far, but perhaps the few metras he'd gain, plus the drift once the engines cut out permanently, would be enough to enter a populated region.  
  
The thrust of the engines thrummed through John's body as he pulled away from the scene of so many recent partings. He sighed with the familiarity of his small ship as it cut through the dark space with barely a whimper. His eyes were focused ahead, his concentration on his immediate readouts, desperately trying to drone out Harvey's conversational voice. As such, he missed the shape of a familiar Peacekeeper prowler as it slipped into view momentarily, before the sheer magnitude of space intruded, and both ships were lost to the other.  
  
*****  
  
"Pilot, respond damnit!"  
  
Aeryn Sun scanned the immediate area surrounding her, desperately searching for any sign of Moya. There were no anomalous readings suggesting that Moya had starburst away from the scene, though Aeryn had held that low on her list of possibilities. If she knew John Crichton at all, he'd have insisted Pilot remain in the area, at least for a while, hanging on to the slight hope that Aeryn would return. It amazed her sometimes how well he knew her, how he often rather eerily foresaw her next action long before Aeryn herself knew she how she would behave. No, John would never have let Pilot leave so soon after her departure.  
  
Unless he'd finally believed her. Unless he'd given up hope.  
  
No. She shook her head, widening her scan as she palmed her communicator once again.  
  
"Pilot? Crichton? If this is a joke, I'll have you know I am not laughing." She paused. "John? Frell! Jool? Can any of you hear me? Please, respond!"  
  
Her communicator crackled quietly, and Aeryn jumped. There was someone nearby, possibly just out of her range. She widened her search once more, flying larger and larger circles, pinning down the direction from which the communicator seemed to react the strongest. She sighed, finally piloting the prowler in a straight line towards the source of whatever communication seemed to be reaching her.  
  
"...... fuel.... dead in sp..... dy hear....."  
  
Aeryn's heart leaped wildly as his voice reached her even through the crunch and crackle of subspace interference. She activated her communicator with far more force than necessary, trying to keep her voice calm as her body and mind reacted to the familiar tone.  
  
"John? John are you reading me?"  
  
".....cations wea.... mited power.... pport failing..."  
  
Aeryn increased her speed, praying that decreasing the space between them would strengthen their link.  
  
"John, it's Aeryn, I'm close to your position. Can you respond?"  
  
"..ryn? .... late, must al...dy be dead."  
  
Relief flooded through Aeryn's body, and she laughed out loud as she shook her head. Leave it to John to get himself into trouble and then joke his way out of it. "You are a fool, John Crichton, but you're not dead." She paused. "Yet."  
  
Flying the prowler flat out, Aeryn almost over shot the floating module before easing down and circling back around the ship. The module was tumbling in space slowly, making it hard for her to match the pitch and yaw as she struggled to maintain an even balance with John's ship. When she finally adjusted the prowler to an even roll with the module, the hatches of the two small ships were only feet apart, and from within the mostly darkened module, Aeryn caught his smile. Her communicator jumped to life once more.  
  
"Hey, baby."  
  
Aeryn grinned and shook her head. "John, how the frell did you get yourself into such a pile of dren this time? Are you all right?"  
  
He nodded, flashing her the thumbs up. "I'm okay. Little nauseous. This roller coaster's getting kinda old, what'd'ya say we try a different ride, Sunshine?"  
  
"As usual, I can't understand a word you're saying, but if you're trying to tell me we need to get you out of the module, I already realize that, thank you."  
  
John laughed, and then suddenly sobered. He frowned at her through the hatches, cocking his head to the side. "Why'd you come back, Aeryn?"  
  
She shook her head, matching his frown as her own good humor at finding him fled. "Now's not the time, John."  
  
"Good a time as any, I'm sure not going anywhere, and unless you're willing to leave me to die, I doubt you are either."  
  
"John..."  
  
"Baby, I've been jerked around by a lot of people, most of them on this side of the galaxy, a lot of them related to you. You've always told it to me straight, and we've always been fair to each other, so I'm asking you now not to string me along. You can leave out the bread crumbs, and God knows I'll come running every time, but I gotta know why you're here."  
  
Silence filled the comms as Aeryn struggled with what she had to tell him. Somehow the words that needed to be said could not be done justice by communicators alone, so she chose to word her response lightly. There would be time later for the deep talk she knew John would want. "Suffice it to say, I had a change of heart." She paused. "About everything."  
  
John nodded, seemingly satisfied for the moment. "Well, all right then, let's get this show on the road." He paused. "Tell me something, would ya? How're we gonna get me from here to there?"  
  
"You once told me that where there's a will, there's a way."  
  
John grinned lopsidedly, saluting her with only mock sarcasm as he shuffled around the tight interior of his module, searching for the helmet to his EVA suit. "Baby, I got the will if you got the way."  
  
"Well, then I suppose you aren't completely frelled."  
  
*****  
  
End Part Two 


	3. Part 3

A/N: This one takes place after Dog With Two Bones, and is chocked full of spoilers, so if you're adverse to knowing what happened, don't read. As to the final revelation in Dog with Two Bones regarding Aeryn, I'm dealing with it and dismissing it in my own way. I have my reasons which will come through in the plot in later chapters.  
  
I'm rating this as PG for now; it is very rare that my stories stay that way for long, but as I am not sure where this is going just yet, I figure I'll let it go for now.  
  
They're quite obviously not mine; they belong to the Henson Production Company, Rockne O'Bannon, et. al.  
  
Looking forward to hearing what you think, either here or by email. :)  
  
  
In the Hands of Fate  
  
Part Three  
  
By: Danae Bowen  
  
Email: logansfox@rogers.com  
  
  
  
It took longer than Aeryn would have liked to transfer John from the dead module into her prowler. Once free of the confines of the module, John had insisted on locking the two ships together and towing Farscape One to the nearest inhabited planet. Aeryn had sighed with frustration; even now he refused to give up the one piece of equipment that could take him home, no matter how he'd insisted that Earth was no longer where he wanted to be.  
  
For once unable to argue with him, Aeryn had waited somewhat patiently for John to attach the two ships together, leaving a long enough lead between the hulks of metal so that if Aeryn needed to change vectors quickly, she'd not run the risk of ramming the towed vessel. Finally, she donned her helmet and opened her own hatch, shaking her head at John as he tumbled inside.  
  
Once secure, Aeryn lowered the hatch once again and they both freed themselves of the confines of their EVA helmets. She had to force herself not to shudder as John's hands came around her waist suddenly, squeezing her softly as he settled into the seat behind her. John, for his part, was completely aware of the tension that suddenly flowed through her body as he touched her and had to fight the hurt that threatened to shine through his expressive blue eyes. Aeryn had said she'd had a change of heart, but had she, really?  
  
He sighed, trying not to think too hard on Aeryn's appearance exactly at the moment he'd needed her, instead carefully breathing in the scent that was purely hers, something he'd thought himself never to know again. His heart tripped over itself as he leaned closer, enjoying the closeness that the prowler's tiny cockpit afforded. When Aeryn sighed suddenly, John frowned, instantly leaning back.  
  
"You don't have to do that, you know." Her voice was soft, and John struggled to hear even in the close confines.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Move away. I am sorry that I ever made you feel as if you had to."  
  
John blinked suddenly, unsure that he'd heard what she said, or what he'd wanted her to say. "You mean..."  
  
"I mean, you don't have to do that. I'm sorry I left Moya. It was something I had to do for us both. I don't expect you to understand, or to forgive me."  
  
John almost laughed aloud as Aeryn returned her attention to piloting the prowler carefully through space, occasionally checking on the Farscape One as they made progress towards a nearby commerce planet.  
  
"Aeryn, I don't have to forgive you, you're here, aren't ya?" His words were full of such heart aching happiness that Aeryn shuddered once more, but not in fear or repulsion, rather pleasure at hearing the life come back into a voice that seemed so devoid of any emotion beyond anger and hurt. When his breathing caught once again, Aeryn frowned, twisting suddenly to catch the return of his wounded expression.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
John sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he searched for words to explain what the old lady aboard Moya had told him. He drew his bottom lip between his teeth as he mulled over the questions that were screaming painful paths through his mind, ignoring Harvey as the clone re-established itself in the already too tight quarters of the prowler and began whispering his own prompts for John to act. As they'd attached the Farscape One to the prowler, John had filled Aeryn in on what had happened aboard Moya before she'd arrived. He'd told her of the wormhole and of losing contact with Pilot and Jool, but he'd not told her why it was Pilot had been piloting towards the module. John had had enough fuel to make it this far away from the scene where Aeryn had left him arns before, making it back to Moya without her deploying the docking web would not have been a problem for the small ship. Pilot had had no need to come to John's rescue, and yet, he'd changed Moya's vector, leaving her in the path of the suddenly open wormhole. Now, it seemed, John would have to bring voice to the questions he wanted and yet didn't want to ask.   
  
"Uh, Aeryn, just before Moya was pulled through the wormhole, the old woman told me something. Or I guess it was before that, before you left the ship, but I only remembered just before the wormhole. God, this is the most frelling stupid thing I've ever had to ask anyone, but I gotta ask, or it's gonna drive me crazier than I am even now." John's frustrated expression caused Aeryn to throttle back on the prowler's controls, turning slightly to meet his eyes as he struggled to voice his concerns.  
  
"The only way I can answer your question, John, is if you ask it." She smiled at him gently, her suddenly softened blue-gray eyes pleading with him to drop the final barrier that had risen between them.  
  
"You know how much it hurt leaving my daughter on the Royal Planet, right?" He looked away from her eyes, not able to meet her curious gaze. Instead he focused on the shape of his module as it drifted slowly beside them.  
  
"Of course." Her tone was confused as she turned further, forcing his gaze back to her own.  
  
"Aeryn, you wouldn't do that to me, would you? Leave and take my child, knowing we'll probably never see each other again?" His words burned with the pain that clutched at his heart, the loss of his daughter suddenly magnified by the belief that Aeryn was about to repeat the experience, leaving him with two children in the Uncharted Territories that he'd never see grow from helpless babies into exuberant children, into curious teens, into intelligent adults. The concept of losing another child was too hard for him to bear.  
  
Aeryn stared at him in disbelief; her blue-gray eyes going wide as she slowly absorbed his surprising question. She frowned then, lifting a hand to his jaw, turning his head so that he faced her once more. "Why would you ever think I would do something so horrible? John, children are not and never will be my main priority in life, but I realize how important yours is to you. I could never..." She paused, watching the disbelief spread through his features, and his eyes grow suddenly cold. "Wait a microt. The old woman, she told you I was...? You think I am...? For frells sake, Crichton, you'd believe a stranger over me? Do you really believe that I could be that callous?" Hurt blazed through her, hot and sharp as she turned away once again. "I suppose we really have changed if you could ever think I would do that to you."  
  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have... oh, God, Aeryn, how am I supposed to know? Far as I know, you hated my guts six arns ago. Not my child anyway, would've been his, so why should you bother telling me." He leaned back, distancing himself physically and emotionally from the woman only a few miserable inches in front of him.  
  
Aeryn groaned, throttling back too quickly on the controls, causing them both to jerk forward as the Prowler slowed roughly. "All right, fine, you want to do this, then we'll do it and be done with it. I am not, nor have I ever been, pregnant with your child or his. I would not take our child away from you and never let you know of its existence. Think about it for one microt, Crichton. I was raised never knowing my parents, never knowing that I was loved. Even if I was pregnant with his child, do you really believe that I wouldn't understand you would see the child as your own, and love it as such? I know you, you frelling idiot human. I haven't spent three cycles falling in love with a man I don't know. Everything is your responsibility, just as everything is your fault. I'm fairly sure you even blame yourself for Moya's disappearance just as if you opened the wormhole and pulled her through. You have taught me far more than I'd care to admit, John Crichton. You have taught me how to be compassionate, how to be diplomatic," At that John snorted quietly, earning himself a scornful look from the Sebacean. "Shut up or you'll find yourself back in your own "crappy little ship" for the duration of this trip." She waited for him to silence himself, grateful for the flicker of amusement that began to show in his blue eyes. "Above all else, John, you've taught me love. We have both learned to think in the way of him or you, rather than simply John Crichton. Before Talyn, you were the same man, and I loved you long before it became a matter of him or you. I wasn't leaving because of that, no matter how it may have seemed at the time. *You* taught me all of these things and more. Yes, it was him that I eventually turned to, but you've shown me that he was no more or less Crichton than you are. If you had been on Talyn with me, the same would have happened. Do you understand, or is this too much for your tiny human brain to comprehend?"  
  
"Take it easy, babe, I wasn't the one pushing you away." His words were harsh, but his tone was light, as if a sudden weight had been lifted from his mind.   
  
Aeryn sighed as she leaned back, allowing his warm arms to surround her. "I am sorry that I hurt you; I was hurting just as badly."  
  
"I know." He rested his chin on the top of her head, allowing his thumb to gently trace the pulse of her heart at the base of her throat. "I'm not sorry I pushed, though. Sometimes if something means a lot, you gotta fight for it. And, babe, you are the most important thing in the universe."  
  
"Your one constant."  
  
She felt more than saw John stiffen as she spoke, and instantly regretted the words. Whether or not he considered himself rectified with the life and death of his double, some things would always make him uncomfortable. She sighed in relief as she felt him relax an instant later, and the light smile returned to his lips.  
  
"He told you that, eh?"  
  
She nodded wordlessly, reclaiming the controls to the prowler, piloting them once more towards life. When he laughed suddenly, she glanced at him in confusion, grateful for the lack of bitterness in his expression.  
  
"How many of my other secrets did he go and spill?" His eyes sparkled mischievously as he leaned back and let her pilot without his presence in her personal space. She sighed with the loss, but smiled back at him.  
  
"Not many, I'm sure."  
  
He shook his head quietly, glancing out the hatch once more. "You realize once we get our asses out of this mess, I will find out, by any means necessary?"  
  
"Of course." She grinned. "As you would say, I am counting on it."  
  
**********  
  
End Part Three 


	4. Part 4

A/N: This one takes place after Dog With Two Bones, and is chocked full of spoilers, so if you're adverse to knowing what happened, don't read. As to the final revelation in Dog with Two Bones regarding Aeryn, I'm dealing with it and dismissing it in my own way. I have my reasons which will come through in the plot in later chapters.  
  
I'm rating this as PG for now; it is very rare that my stories stay that way for long, but as I am not sure where this is going just yet, I figure I'll let it go for now.  
  
They're quite obviously not mine; they belong to the Henson Production Company, Rockne O'Bannon, et. al.  
  
Looking forward to hearing what you think, either here or by email. :)  
  
  
  
  
In The Hands of Fate  
  
Part Four  
  
By: Danae Bowen  
  
Email: logansfox@rogers.com  
  
  
John lay back on the bed, his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. They had arrived on this commerce planet nearly two full solar days before, hoping to re-fuel the prowler and module and find out if any of the local natives were aware of unusual wormhole activity in that general area of space. John hadn't lied to Aeryn when he'd told her, "anywhere in the universe, you pick the planet"; he honestly had little interest in returning to Earth anymore, not to stay anyway. That was not why they were chasing wormholes, yet again; John felt as if he had a duty to Pilot and Moya, and now he wouldn't rest until they were back.  
  
The door opened but John didn't look away from the ceiling as it closed again. Instead he closed his eyes, sighing softly. "Hey, baby. How'd it go?"  
  
Two full solar days and they'd not fought, not even when they'd had to make a decision about how they were going to go about finding Moya. Aeryn was quiet as she moved around the room, but even with his eyes closed he could feel the change in their relationship. The last few solar days aboard Moya had been tense when they were in the same room together. Hell, just being on the same ship together was tense. Still, whatever decision Aeryn had come to in her prowler had allowed most of that tension to ease away, now. They'd still not yet moved forward, lingering in limbo, but for the first time since Talyn and Moya had reunited, they were all right.  
  
"Not well. There is no one on this frelling planet willing to offer us passage. I had not thought of trade when I packed my belongings and you have nothing. Short of selling one of the ships, I'm really not sure we'll be getting off this planet any time soon."  
  
He heard her flight jacket hit the chair in the corner of the room, sighed once more, and pulled himself up. "So, we sell one of the ships. It's a plan, at least."  
  
"Right, and I suppose I know which ship it will be."   
  
"C'mon, Aeryn. You know Farscape One's better equipped to go through a wormhole if it comes down to it. 'Sides, who on this side of the universe would be willing to pay for it? You said it yourself, according to you people, Farscape's a pile of dren. A Peacekeeper prowler, on the other hand..."  
  
"Yes, I know, John. I never said it was a bad plan, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."  
  
"No, I guess it doesn't." He shifted over on the bed so that she could sit next to him, leaning back against the headboard. He ached to reach out and touch her, to hold her, to kiss and love her, yet still, something held him back. Two nights they'd slept in the same bed, not touching. John couldn't explain it; it was nothing Aeryn had said or done, in fact, if anything, she'd encouraged the few physical gestures between them; his mind just hadn't yet registered that she'd come back to him. Hell, his mind hadn't yet registered that if he touched her, she wouldn't kill him. "So, any clue where we start? I mean do they have a used prowler lot 'round here or something?"  
  
"Really, John, now isn't the time for human idioms." She sighed and leaned closer to him, grateful when his arm came around her shoulder. "We'll need more supplies than just your module. Even with Scorpius gone, we cannot afford to be reckless."  
  
"So, I'll go on a shopping spree while you offload the prowler. We'll settle up with the merchants when you've got the creds on hand." They fell silent for a while, merely enjoying the comfort of the other's company. John very softly allowed his hand to trail along her arm, his eyes glowing with wonder as he lost himself in the familiarity of her cool, soft skin. "I'm sorry," he said, suddenly, frowning and glancing away from her.  
  
"For what?" She caught his hand before he could move away, matching his frown as her eyes registered honest confusion.  
  
"Everything, I guess. Mainly that you've gotta sell your prowler."  
  
She sighed and chuckled softly, shaking her head. "It's only a ship. We need the currency."  
  
"Only because I'm going off on another one of my tangents. We could just stay here, y'know." He met her gaze, his expression dead serious as he cocked his head to the side. "We could get jobs, settle down and just kinda live. We don't have to do this."  
  
"Right, and completely abandon Pilot and Moya after everything they've done for us both." She lowered her head to his shoulder, shifting until she was securely wrapped in his warm embrace. "It would be nice, though, wouldn't it?"  
  
He grinned, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "Nah, you'd knock me on my ass after a weekan and you know it." He paused. "We'll get you another prowler when this is over. I don't know how yet, but we'll get it for ya."  
  
She answered his smile with one of her own, patting his thigh quickly. "Our first priority is Moya. Until then, I suppose your pile of dren will have to suffice."  
  
He laughed softly, his body shaking with absolute pleasure for the first time in what seemed like forever. "Bitch."  
  
Her eyes flashed quick humor, and her hand tightened on his leg. "Human."  
  
He gasped in mock insult. "Hey, since when did being human become an insult?"  
  
She laughed loudly then, pulling away from his arms to crawl off the bed. "Since the day we met, Crichton, and you know it." She pulled her flight jacket back on, and turned for the door. "If you're going "shopping", then you'd best hurry. Try to stay out of trouble this time, would you?"  
  
"Hey, it's not like I'm gonna go looking for it!" He scowled at her back good-naturedly.  
  
"Right, and I'm not irreversibly contaminated." She flipped her long hair over her shoulder, and flashed him a final smile before disappearing into the streets of the market.  
  
***********  
  
John wandered the market for several arns, making arrangements with the vendors for bulk amounts of food, and several different pieces of equipment they'd need to make modifications to the Farscape's systems. Thankfully, this world seemed to understand the concept of payment on delivery, so he set the delivery date for three solar days in the future, hopefully giving Aeryn enough time to get a decent deal on the prowler.  
  
Now, he walked along the quieting streets, keeping his eyes open for any sense of trouble, but at the same time busily taking in the wares of vendors from whom he knew he needed nothing. Knowing Aeryn, she'd be at the landing base for quite some time to come, fighting anyone interested in the prowler for the best price she could get, which left John with far too much spare time on his hands.  
  
A small body with shocking white hair turned the corner ahead of him, and John paused. "What the hell?" He shook his head, questioning his sanity for a moment before increasing his speed. He rounded the corner a microt later, catching another glimpse of the light colored body. A genuine grin split his features as he broke into a run, chasing after the familiar form of the Nebari.  
  
When only a block of vendors separated them, John paused, certain now, and raised his voice into a greeting yell filled with pleasure. "Yo, Pip!"  
  
Chiana paused, half turning in the street, glancing around for the source of the familiar nickname. From the distance between them, John saw his name form on her lips as she scanned the thinning crowd. He raised his arms, drawing her attention to him, and her eyes registered pure shock at the sight of him. "Crichton? What the frell are you doing here?!" She spun towards him, jogging down the streets as she flung herself into his arms for a tight hug.  
  
"The usual SNAFU."  
  
"Well, at least I know it's really you." She grinned and shook her head. "What's a snaffoo?"  
  
John chuckled, looping his arm around the young Nebari's shoulders. "SNAFU. It's an acronym; you take the first letter of a series of words, and form a new word. Basically means, situation normal, all frelled up. Like my life." He grinned widely. "But y'know what, Pip? Life's suddenly gettin' better!"  
  
She stared at him in amused confusion for a microt, and then joined in his laughter. "So, why are you here? Re-stocking Moya?" She glanced around, suspiciously. "I haven't heard any irritating whining, so I'm guessing you came down alone?" When John's expression sobered quickly, Chiana frowned. "Okay, Crichton, what the frell's going on? 'Cause I know you and you're not telling me something."  
  
John sighed. "C'mon, Chiana. Have dinner with me and Aeryn tonight and I'll fill you in."  
  
"Aeryn?!" Her head spun around yet again, searching for the ex-peacekeeper. "You're kidding me right? I leave you alone for two solar days and you've gone and frelled it all up again, haven't you?"  
  
John chuckled. "Sparky and D'Argo hanging around? I really don't want to have to keep repeating myself if you're all here."  
  
Chiana's face darkened at the mention of D'Argo and she shook her head. "D'Argo followed us here when we left Moya, but never landed. You might find Rygel around, though; last I heard from him he was still looking for transport out of here. Check the food vendors. I only stopped to re-fuel the transport pod and, um, procure supplies for myself. I'm leaving at sunrise."  
  
"Don't make any plans, Chi, until you hear what I gotta say. When I'm done, you might just want to stick around and help."  
  
"I don't think so." She sighed with frustration, the thought of finding Nerri her main concern, but it didn't stop her from following John back to the hotel to hear his tale.  
  
End Part Four. 


	5. Part 5

Please see part one for disclaimer and author's notes. Otherwise, I hope you all enjoy. :)  
  
  
  
In The Hands of Fate  
  
Part Five  
  
By: Danae Bowen  
  
Email: logansfox@rogers.com  
  
  
"So, what? They just disappeared?" Chiana's dark eyes widened in surprise as she scanned John's face for any sign of amusement.  
  
"Yeah, Pip, poof, gone in a flash of light, all that fun stuff." John sighed, leaning back in his chair and resting his feet up on the table. "So, me 'n Aeryn are gathering up the cavalry and leading a posse into whatever Disney World Universe Moya's been dragged through."  
  
"Right." Chiana nodded slowly, frowning as she attempted to process John's dialogue. "And which part do you expect me to play in this rescue attempt?"  
  
John shrugged. "Whatever you want, Chi. I'm not gonna force you into coming with us. Just saying, I'm sure Moya and Pilot would appreciate your help. I know I would." When Chiana looked down, her need to leave showing plainly in her expressive dark eyes, John sighed. "Listen, Pip, if you don't want to come with, it's okay. Nobody's gonna hold it against you. Trust me."  
  
"I love Pilot and Moya, Crichton, you know that, but I need to find Nerri. I have to. Besides, you have Aeryn, you don't need me in the way."  
  
The door slammed open, causing both John and Chiana to jump in surprise as a slue of curse words John was thankful his microbes couldn't translate filled the air between them. "Idiot frelling males! They think I'd actually be willing to let *my* prowler sell for less than I could get for your frelling mod... Chiana." Aeryn gaped in surprise for a microt before smiling uncertainly.  
  
"Aeryn." Chiana's smile matched Aeryn's for hesitation. The women had never been friends, but each cared for the other in their own way. "Did I hear right, you're actually willingly selling your prowler? What universe folded in on itself?"  
  
"Pip..." John's voice was warning, searching Aeryn's face in anticipation of the cutting remark that rested on her lips. Instead, she half smiled and shook her head.  
  
"No, John, it's all right. Chiana's not wrong, and yes, you heard correctly. The prowler isn't going to be able to get us to where we need to go, unfortunately. I've accepted that. If we're going to help Moya, sacrifices must be made ungrudgingly."  
  
Chiana lifted an eyebrow in surprise at Aeryn's calm acceptance of the situation. Instead of her usual wisecracks, her eyes took on a thoughtful expression. "Um, I have an idea, maybe." John and Aeryn turned their gazes on her expectantly as Chiana struggled to choose her words carefully. "Maybe you don't have to sell the prowler. Maybe you could trade it. To me. For the transport pod."  
  
"Chiana, don't be ridiculous. The transport pod's not going to pay for all the supplies John and I will need for this venture. We need the revenue generated by the sale of the prowler." Aeryn scoffed at the younger woman lightly, softening her original statement with a more gentle explanation.  
  
"But..."  
  
"Actually, Aeryn, it's not a bad plan. The transport pod'll give us the space we need to store everything, and it'll tow the module without too much strain on the structure."  
  
"Yeah, and..."  
  
"John, that still doesn't answer the question as to how we will be able to afford the "everything" that you plan to store."  
  
"See, I..."  
  
"I'm sure we can find something to trade somewhere. I mean, we'll pull apart the module if we have to for spare parts. And the transport pod's got loads of junk on it we can offload."  
  
"Actually..."  
  
"Right, and what happens if when we find Moya, where ever she is, we find that we need something we traded absently? You need to learn to plan ahead."  
  
"If you'd..."  
  
"I am planning ahead, you're just not seeing it. Whatever we trade now, we can replace later. Everything we need is on Moya, we just gotta get to her."  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"And what if we don't "get to her"? What if we search for weekans and never find her? We have no guarantee that the wormhole is still active, John. You cannot just assume that because it opened once, it will open again. You can't just go on believing that everything will turn out the way you expect it to."  
  
"Hello?!"  
  
"Right, Aeryn. If I ever did actually think like that, I certainly don't now. Neural clones, brain surgeries, multiple personalities, aliens pretending to be my father, leather clad nazi's nipping at my ass, clonings and everything else in this godforsaken part of the universe taught me that cycles ago."  
  
"Hello!!"  
  
"Fine. I'd thought you'd long since gotten over your self-pitying stage; obviously I was mistaken. When you're prepared to carry on a conversation like an adult rather than the petulant child you've become, please, do inform me."  
  
"Oh, for frell's sake, would you two shut up for ten frelling microts so I can say something?!!" Chiana's voice echoed off the walls of the small room, finally gaining the attention of her companions. When silence fell upon the room at last, the small gray woman sighed in relief. "Thank you. Now, like I was saying, I've been here for a few solar days snur... uh, procuring supplies. The transport pod is stocked with food. If you're going to trade me for the prowler, I can't keep it all. So, let me take what I want, and the rest you can have for yourselves."  
  
John and Aeryn looked at her incredulously, surprise shocking them into silence.  
  
"What? I do come up with good ideas, you know, just none of you ever listened."  
  
John was the first to shake off his surprise, laughing out loud as he climbed to his feet and hugged the small woman. "Believe me, Pip, after this, it'll never happen again."  
  
"Yeah, right. I'll live to see that day."  
  
Aeryn grudgingly agreed that Chiana's plan had merit, and although she remained somewhat tense for the remainder of the evening, when Chiana finally rose to leave, her goodbyes were made quietly and heartfelt.   
  
Alone again, John and Aeryn silently cleaned away the remains of their dinner, before preparing for bed. Aeryn remained in the small bathroom long after John had settled into the bed, but when she finally reappeared, his gaze met hers instantly.  
  
"Wanna talk about it?"  
  
Aeryn sighed, slipping beneath the sheets, turning to study John's face in quiet reflection as the tension eased from her frame. "What is it you'd like me to talk about this time?"  
  
"I dunno, the fact we just exploded on each other with no apparent reason."  
  
She smiled softly, shrugging. "Name a single solar day that has passed where we haven't fought about something, John."  
  
He made a show out of thinking hard on the subject, frowning in concentration until Aeryn's hand shot out to strike his shoulder playfully. He grinned then, reaching out to smooth a stray lock of hair away from her face. "I guess it's just been a while; I'm an old man, I forget these things." He paused. "But we're really okay?"  
  
The insecurities that shone through his soulful blue eyes brought a sigh to Aeryn's lips. Leaning forward she brushed her lips across his in a gentle caress. "We are really all right, John."  
  
More aware than ever of the drastic changes in their relationship, when a simple battle of words, mild compared to those they'd shared in the past, could cause John to doubt Aeryn's love for him once again, spurred Aeryn into moving closer that night. She'd kept her distance from him in the previous nights, not for herself, but for him, allowing him to adjust to the fact that when he was ready, she'd be there. That night, she pulled his arms around her, turning so that her body curled into his. When he finally relaxed, pulling her closer still, his breath tickling the back of her neck as he breathed in her scent deeply, Aeryn's lips curved into a small smile against her pillow. It was all so familiar and not, but for the first time in the weekans that had stretched into an eternity, Aeryn drifted off to sleep instantly, her body and mind at ease when wrapped in John's strong embrace.  
  
End Part Five. 


End file.
